<p>Is it a good thing or bad thing (or doesn't matter) if your high school never sends kids to the school you are applying to??
Example: D's high school is ranked about 100ish out of 700ish in Ohio (so not bad). BUT guidance counselor (who has worked at the school for 25 years) has never sent anyone to Georgetown. She said she doesn't even remember anyone applying there. This high school also doesn't send anyone to HYPS.
We live in a small Ohio town where people live and die in Ohio and no one ever leaves. There are very smart kids in the school but most have a small town mentality - their reach is Miami of Ohio.
Our family are all planning on getting out of here after D graduates! :)</p>
<p>There’s no real answer. Much depends on the school’s goals and the way the regional rep does their job. An inept counselor won’t be much help.</p>
<p>That said, many schools are trying to reach out to more people in more places. If your daughter is white/Asian, attends a school where most are, and is from a well represented state like Ohio, it’s probably not high on the reps agenda to reach out to a school that doesn’t have demographics the college is actively seeking.</p>
<p>Your DD will have to use the application to work hard to show that where she comes from and who she is as a result will bring something unique to her colleges of choice. She will also need to guide the teachers and counselors to write the kind of recs she needs with ‘brag sheets’ that spoon feed them what you’d like to see said. </p>
<p>You should read lots of college admissions books or hire a private counselor if affordable to help her through the process.</p>
<p>With so many colleges out there, there is bound to be many schools that nobody at a hs has ever applied to, let alone attended. Georgetown is a well-known school, but not as much when compared to HYPS or the state flagship. It is understandable that people don’t end up attending HYPS because so few are admitted. Especially in your D’s case, I don’t think that it is bad; she is a trailblazer in “discovering” great schools. I was one of the rare students in my hs who applied to schools in the South and the only one who ever applied to the schools I did, let alone accepted an offer of admission. If your D likes Georgetown, have her apply. CC is an excellent resource for finding great colleges that are virtually unknown in one’s area.</p>
<p>Since you’ve mentioned Georgetown and HYPS, am I correct in assuming that you daughter has exceptional grades and PSAT/SAT scores. In other words, that she is in the range of what the most selective colleges are looking for in a candidate.</p>
<p>With that assumption my sense is that your daughter is at a significant disadvantage when applying to top colleges. Those colleges would want to compare her to other students (past, and present) from your high school. It helps them understand how the school grades, and the rigor of the courses she is taking. The demographics, could work in your favor, if she were to come from a remote small school. But that isn’t the case.</p>
<p>GCs often establish relationships with colleges, and could be a great help in getting the message through admission committees that a particular candidate is a strong fit. In your situation that help is missing.</p>
<p>I agree with hmom5. If at all possible, hire a private counselor who has a history of placing students in top colleges. This won’t be inexpensive, and most likely you’ll need to look for someone in a major city. It’ll mean travel for discussions, etc.</p>